As human beings, there are certain admirable activities or interests we do which we consider ourselves to be experts on. An expert is a person who has a complete and reliable understanding of something in a particular area; it could also be a skill of some kind, like knitting. There are so many different situations where people claim to be experts. It could be anything from mastering a sport to knowing everything about a specific educational subject. From my own perspective, I believe myself to be an expert at understanding, working, and communicating with children.
Since I have been around children my whole life, I have been able to accumulate a vast amount of knowledge about them. I have over twenty cousins in my family and the majority of them are younger than me. My neighborhood is also full of young toddlers and elementary school-aged kids that I babysit all the time. Over the years I have learned to be exceedingly patient around kids because I personally know how rowdy and undisciplined they can be. It can be frustrating at times and patience is a key quality in dealing with children. During my senior year in high school I was able to secure an internship with a kindergarten class in a nearby elementary school. I learned so many important things that have enabled me to become the expert I am today. I am also very good at listening and being able to speak in ways that are easily understood by kids of all ages, while still retaining originality. Not only that, but I always see the good in any situation and can move forward to make the best of even the most difficult. I also encourage children to be positive, which can have a major influence on the way a child perceives the world.
I have become an expert at dealing with children because I am empathetic while being able to respond to kids at a feeling level. This is necessary when trying to communicate with any child. Being individually perceptive is another crucial part. I am able to look for the differences among children, and I can quickly diagnose difficulties and assists in the management of individual situations. My creativity while working with children is a major factor in helping them understand certain topics. Some kids have rather short attention spans, and it is imperative that they are involved and interested in what is being taught or said to them. Something that also really helped me was having a sense of humor. It definitely helps to take the tension out of tight situations, and builds togetherness.
I know after I achieve my degree here at URI I will be able to officially put my expertise, as well as any other information I can garner, to good use as an elementary educator. I will be committed and dependable to my future students. Working hard to become an expert is not easy. It takes practice and constant observation to know exactly how to deal with kids. Not every child is the same; they all have different temperaments and attitudes, come from different backgrounds, and have different learning capabilities. This concept is key to becoming an expert at understanding, working, and communicating with children. I want to be a teacher simple because I love working with children. Being around kids all the time, especially younger ones, is tough. People do not always know that the start of a young child’s education is very significant in their future development as students. I want to make a difference with my expertise. All the elements that you can learn, cultivate, develop, and maintain over your lifetime can help you become an expert.
Danielle Santagata
Jay Fogleman
EDC 102 H MWF
13 September 2011
Personal Expertise Statement
As human beings, there are certain admirable activities or interests we do which we consider ourselves to be experts on. An expert is a person who has a complete and reliable understanding of something in a particular area; it could also be a skill of some kind, like knitting. There are so many different situations where people claim to be experts. It could be anything from mastering a sport to knowing everything about a specific educational subject. From my own perspective, I believe myself to be an expert at understanding, working, and communicating with children.
Since I have been around children my whole life, I have been able to accumulate a vast amount of knowledge about them. I have over twenty cousins in my family and the majority of them are younger than me. My neighborhood is also full of young toddlers and elementary school-aged kids that I babysit all the time. Over the years I have learned to be exceedingly patient around kids because I personally know how rowdy and undisciplined they can be. It can be frustrating at times and patience is a key quality in dealing with children. During my senior year in high school I was able to secure an internship with a kindergarten class in a nearby elementary school. I learned so many important things that have enabled me to become the expert I am today. I am also very good at listening and being able to speak in ways that are easily understood by kids of all ages, while still retaining originality. Not only that, but I always see the good in any situation and can move forward to make the best of even the most difficult. I also encourage children to be positive, which can have a major influence on the way a child perceives the world.
I have become an expert at dealing with children because I am empathetic while being able to respond to kids at a feeling level. This is necessary when trying to communicate with any child. Being individually perceptive is another crucial part. I am able to look for the differences among children, and I can quickly diagnose difficulties and assists in the management of individual situations. My creativity while working with children is a major factor in helping them understand certain topics. Some kids have rather short attention spans, and it is imperative that they are involved and interested in what is being taught or said to them. Something that also really helped me was having a sense of humor. It definitely helps to take the tension out of tight situations, and builds togetherness.
I know after I achieve my degree here at URI I will be able to officially put my expertise, as well as any other information I can garner, to good use as an elementary educator. I will be committed and dependable to my future students. Working hard to become an expert is not easy. It takes practice and constant observation to know exactly how to deal with kids. Not every child is the same; they all have different temperaments and attitudes, come from different backgrounds, and have different learning capabilities. This concept is key to becoming an expert at understanding, working, and communicating with children. I want to be a teacher simple because I love working with children. Being around kids all the time, especially younger ones, is tough. People do not always know that the start of a young child’s education is very significant in their future development as students. I want to make a difference with my expertise. All the elements that you can learn, cultivate, develop, and maintain over your lifetime can help you become an expert.